Medicare Advantage

Boston Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: What You Can Change by March 31

For 2027, Boston is looking at 50 Medicare Advantage plans: 12 new, 14 gone since 2026, and 24 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Suffolk County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

BOSTON — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan last fall and it isn't fitting the way you hoped, you have a second chance this winter. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives current Advantage members one shot to make a change before spring.

This is a narrower window than the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and the rules about what you can — and can't — do are different. Here is what Boston-area residents should know.

Who this enrollment period is for

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA-OEP) is only for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. If you are still on Original Medicare, this window does not apply to you — you would generally have to wait for the next Annual Enrollment Period in the fall, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

According to CMS, if you are in an Advantage plan and something isn't working — the pharmacy network, a specialist referral rule, or a drug that isn't covered the way you expected — MA-OEP is your built-in do-over.

What you can change between Jan. 1 and March 31

During this window, you are allowed to:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• If you return to Original Medicare, join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

You can make one change during this period. Whatever change you make takes effect the first day of the following month.

What you cannot do in this window

MA-OEP is not a general open enrollment. You cannot:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time if you are currently on Original Medicare.
• Switch from one stand-alone Part D drug plan to another if you are on Original Medicare.
• Sign up for a new Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy with guaranteed acceptance — Medigap has its own rules, and in Massachusetts, medical underwriting protections are stronger than in most states, but timing still matters. SHINE counselors can walk you through it.

Why Boston residents should look closely this year

Boston sits in Suffolk County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options to choose from each year. Plan details — provider networks, drug formularies, and prior authorization rules — can change from one plan year to the next, even if the plan name looks the same.

A few program-level updates are worth keeping in mind as you compare:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible maximum is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027 (plans can charge less).
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs out in monthly installments instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter. You must opt in.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

None of that changes the MA-OEP rules, but it does change the math on which plan actually fits your situation.

How to make a smart switch

Before you change anything, pull out your current plan's 2027 Annual Notice of Change, the letter your plan sent this fall. Then:

1. Write down your prescriptions, doses, and pharmacies. 2. List your doctors and any hospitals you want in-network — for many Bostonians, that means checking whether major local systems are still contracted with the plan you are considering. 3. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare options side by side. 4. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) for official answers. 5. In Massachusetts, contact SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone), the state's federally funded SHIP program. SHINE counselors give free, one-on-one, unbiased help. You can reach them through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs or by calling 1-800-243-4636.